


Love At Heart, Casted Centuries Aside

by ETNMystic



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, cw extreme bullying, cw pregnancy mention, cw suicide implications, young toko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-26 02:02:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19758331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ETNMystic/pseuds/ETNMystic
Summary: After learning that his family is moving away to Shikoku, young and timid Toko decides to confess her love to her friend, Hideki, via a love letter. But things don't go according to plan.(CW: Extreme bullying, pregnancy mention, implications of suicide.)





	Love At Heart, Casted Centuries Aside

Toko was extremely anxious.

Her hand shook as she held a pen in her hand, glaring at the piece of paper in front of her. Every so often, she would whirl her head to check if her door was barricaded well enough; she didn't want her mothers or her father barging in. If they found out.....she didn't even want to think about what they would do if they found the letter.

"But how do I even begin?" she asked herself, her voice quivering. 

She adjusted her glasses as the thoughts of the recipient crossed her mind. Hideki Hashimoto, a good friend of Toko's, had recently told her that he and his family were moving away to Shikoku in a couple of days. She couldn't bear the thought of him leaving; he was the only boy that she felt comfortable being around, and one that she had recently been developing feelings for. Toko wanted nothing more than to tell him how she felt. Now that she had a time constraint, she knew that there couldn't be any room for error in this letter. No, this had to be just right. 

Gulping she slowly lowered the pen, placing it onto the paper and wrote at the top:

_"My Dearest Hideki,"_

_Yeah, that's a good way to start, right?_  
_Or maybe it's too cheesy? No, I have to be completely honest._

As she attempted to continue, Toko's hand lurched away from the paper. She couldn't think of what should come next.

_If someone wrote me a love letter, what would I want to be on it?_

Of course, she'd want the complete truth, but what if what ended up on the paper _wasn't_ the complete truth?

_Don't overthink this, Toko. You can do it. Just look inside of yourself. Maybe set it up with something casual?_

It took all of her strength to place her hand back on the paper.

_"I'm sorry that this is so late, but I couldn't bring myself to do it until now. 'Do what?' you may be asking; the answer to that question is to be completely honest with you. And now is my only chance to do so. I cannot stress how much your companionship means to me. You're the only one who's shown me any ounce of kindness, who's willing to actually be around me, let alone talk to me; gradually my heart began to swell until it reached a point where the pounding became so intense, I felt as though it would practically burst from my chest. And it was then that I began to realize; I love you._

_"I love your laugh when I tell you a joke, the one that rings softly like a soothing wind chime in a soft breeze. Your eyes pull me in, practically swallow me whole, and I want nothing more than to cry out in agony when I have to leave them. Your smile makes even the worst of my days better with every second I see it. All of the random facts you tell me each day, ones that I doubt even the most intelligent adults would know. The words that glide out of your mouth, paired with a voice sweeter than mochi ice cream, enrich my life. Everyday I learn something new from you; every time I speak to you, I learn something new about myself. Because of you, I've discovered just how deep my emotions run, deeper than the earth's core. I love all of you, every centimeter, every fiber of you, brings me joy._

_"But now, that joy may have to end. How it pains me to think that we may never see each other again! And yet you've taught me the beauty of pain. Since it runs so far down, then that means I've felt the same intensity of pleasure, love, joy, and it's all thanks to you. Perhaps my agony will not be realized; there is always the possibility that the strings of our lives may intertwine once again. Until that day, I wish you a safe journey, and a bountiful life._

_"In Greatest Sincerity,_

_"Fukawa Toko."_

With a sigh of relief, the timid girl looked over the letter once, twice, three times, perhaps more. When she was certain that it was perfect, she gently folded the letter, took the pink envelope that she had bought, and carefully placed the letter inside. Licking the envelope, she savored the glue, knowing that this was her Hermes, her messenger, and she had to treat it as a delicacy. Hesitantly folding the flap, she took a red heart sticker and softly placed it on the center, connecting the base with its flap, before petting it down. 

As she placed it in her book-bag, as one might place an injured baby bird in a bed, a song that she had heard at one point flowed from her mouth. 

_"Every story, tale or memoir_

_"Every saga or romance_

_"Whether true or fabricated_

_"Whether planned or happenstance."_

As she tried to focus on her homework, that song continued to spin through her mind and kept gliding from her mouth as she thought of Hideki.

_"Whether sweeping through the ages_

_"Casting centuries aside_

_"Or a hurried brief recital_

_"Just a thirty-minute ride."_

How she hoped that love for him would last for eternity. 

_"Whether bright or melancholy_

_"Rough and ready, finely spun_

_"Whether with a thousand players_

_"Or a lonely cast of one."_

Even as she settled into her bed that very night, that song kept her company.

_"Every story, new or ancient,_

_"Bagatelle or work of art,_

_"All are tales of human failing._

_"All are tales of love at heart."_

And she drifted off with a smile on her face. 

* * *

As she got ready for school that next morning, Toko couldn't help but feel a great mixture of excitement and anxiety. Would he reciprocate? What if he didn't feel the same. In spite of her fear, she assured herself.

_He's my friend. If he doesn't feel the same way, I know he'll let me down gently._

With a deep breath, she stepped out the door, knowing that after today, things wouldn't be the same ever again. The walk today felt like an eternity to the young girl. Every so often, she would panic and check her book bag to see if that the letter was still there.

Finally she arrived and timidly peeked inside her classroom. She was the first one there, thank goodness. Her eyes darted to Hideki's desk, and like a mouse, she rushed to it. Taking out the letter, she gently placed it on the desk. For sometime, she simply stared at, occasionally feeling second thoughts emerging. 

_No, I have to go through this. This is my only chance._

With a deep breath, she turned her back and went to her seat.

* * *

Throughout the school day, she'd glance behind her every so often to see if Hideki had opened the letter. To Toko it was the anticipation that made her stomach churn. Toko noticed that he was being very attentive to the lesson today, and it made her wonder why. 

_Maybe he's just waiting for the right time._

She tried to approach him during lunchtime. However the anxiety of this letter held her back. And this continued to the end of the day. Her last chance to see him open it, she knew, would be at the end of the day; he always hung back for a bit. Once the time came, she anxiously peeked inside as he was packing up his things. To both her excitement and absolute terror, he finally picked up the letter, opened the envelope carefully, pulled out the letter, and began to read it over.

At that moment, her heart began to pound, and she couldn't bear the sight anymore. Hyperventilating she took off until she was a safe distance away. Even if he couldn't tell her how he felt about her, at the very least, she saw him open the letter, and she felt that that was enough. 

_Well, that's that,_ she thought.  
_He's read the letter. There's nothing more to do. That's the end of it._

At least that was what she thought. 

* * *

Walking into school the next morning, she was greeted by the sight of other students gathering around the main bulletin board. Intrigued she cautiously approached the crowd. 

"Look at it," one girl scoffed.  
"It's so cheesy."

"I can't believe someone would actually be so stupid to give something like _this_ to someone," a boy laughed.

_Give what?_ Toko wondered.

She attempted to slide through the crowd to see. 

"Look everyone!" a second girl yelled.  
"It's Miss Lovey-Dovey!"

"Hey, Hallmark," another boy said with a malicious laugh.  
"Can I get a love letter from you too?"

"What are you talking about?" Toko asked.

As a response, one of the students ripped something off of the bulletin board and thrusted it at the confused girl.

"Does _this_ look familiar to you?"

Her hands trembling, Toko glanced down at the paper. Immediately her heart dropped. 

It was her love letter to Hideki. 

"W-who did this?" she demanded as she tried to hold back her tears.  
"Which of you took this from him?"

They all cackled in response. 

"None of us would stoop so low as to even touch anything that's been in _your_ hands," a girl said.  
"I saw Hashimoto pin it on here himself."

A chill of fear, shame, anger, sadness, and confusion began to circle her mind and body. The tears continued to build as her lips quivered.

"No," she squeaked shaking her head.

"No! You're a liar. H-He would never do that to me!"

They only began to laugh even louder. 

"Stop it!" Toko yelled.  
"Leave me alone!"

She couldn't hold it back anymore. Dropping the letter, she rushed to the nearest bathroom and locked herself in a stall before unleashing what seemed to be an endless rainstorm. 

* * *

Throughout the day, the poor girl was subjected to the absolute joy of the various girls who came into the bathroom to gossip; today on their menu was her and her letter.

"You heard about Fukawa from class 3-B? She wrote a love letter to Hashimoto."

"I saw. It was the funniest thing I've ever read."

"Yeah, poor Hashimoto. To have such a parasite fall in love with him."

"If I were him, I'd just kill her on the spot."

"Can you believe it? I mean, I knew she was a total loser, but I never thought she'd go _this_ low."

"I heard that she did it for attention, the little whore."

"Aww. I thought it was kinda cute that she'd write something like that."

"Shut up. You know you're just lying to yourself."

"Maybe, but I'd like to have my conscience at least a little clean."

"For _that_ bitch? It doesn't even phase me."

"She'll be the kind of bitch who gets into compensated dating in high school just to find a friend, I can tell."  
"You'd have to be certifiably insane to want to be _her_ friend, let alone fall in love with her."

"Tell me something I _don't_ know."

"What a total loser."

"She's so lame."

"What a shameless sap."

"A total disease."

"God forbid she ends up getting pregnant. I'd feel sorry for her spawn."

"I hope she'll realize that the world needs _less_ people like her, and actually does something about it."

Every single one of their words stabbed into her like blades, and only made her cry even more. All she wanted was to curl up into a ball and shrink out of existence.

* * *

It felt like an eternity, but finally it was nearing time for the school to close. Toko knew that most of the students were gone by then, but she decided to stay in there until the last possible second. 

Out of nowhere, someone knocked on the stall door. 

"Hello?" a teacher's voice called.  
"The school is about to close."

Her hands trembling, Toko unlocked the door and peeked out. In front of her was _her_ teacher, Miss Miyamoto.

"Toko?" the teacher asked concerned.  
"Are you okay? I didn't see you in class today."

The shy girl glanced at the floor. Before she could even think of what to say, Miss Miyamoto reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of crumpled-up paper.

"I found this in the hallway, and I read it. I recognized your handwriting."

Toko recognized it immediately and began to panic.

"M-miss Miyamoto, please don't--I mean, it's not----"

"Not amazing?" she asked.  
"Toko, it's _absolutely_ amazing."

_Amazing._

The very word caught Toko off-guard.

"W-what?" she asked.

"The love letter," she answered.  
"It's so beautifully crafted, well beyond your age."

"Y-you're just saying that," she grumbled.

"No, Toko," the teacher denied with genuine awe in her voice.  
"It's true. You definitely have a talent for writing."

This sent Toko into a mental shock. No one had told her she had _any_ sort of talent. In fact she was often told the exact opposite.

"I think you should really consider becoming an author. The world _needs_ talent like yours. But we should talk more about this tomorrow. The school's about to close."

"Th....thank.....thank you," Toko gasped as Miss Miyamoto escorted her out of the bathroom.

As she was sent on her way home, Toko's mind began to buzz. Was her writing really _that_ amazing? Could she really become useful to this world?

_Maybe.....I **should**_ _write a novel,_ she thought.

_Perhaps.....a romance._

At that moment, she passed by a bridge crossing over an ocean. She looked down and watched the fishing boats float and row on its surface. She heard the small splashes as fishing rods were cast out. The yells of triumph as fish were lured in successfully and the yells of fury as the fish escaped. This sparked an idea in Toko's mind.

_I wonder.......what would a romance with a fisherman would look like._

On the surface level, what Miss Miyamoto had told her was merely a compliment. But for Toko, a girl who had been shown little to no kindness and had zero luck or success throughout her life, it was the beginning of what would soon become her talent, her passion, her success, and her outlet.


End file.
